


It could have been anyone else, but it was him.

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other ships more backgrounnd, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, leokumi - Freeform, possessed takumi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2018-07-26 08:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7568116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On your sixteenth birthday, an inscription of your soulmate's first words to you appear on your arm.  Everyone has high hopes for their inscriptions, but sometimes war can make things more complicated.  On both sides of the Nohrian-Hoshidian conflict, princes struggle with the identity of their soulmates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Age Sixteen

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [First Words](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7538650) by [Fangirl0207](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl0207/pseuds/Fangirl0207). 



> Hello! Thanks for reading! This is the first fic I've actually posted, so I'm very excited that you're checking it out! I plan to post new chapters soon! Special thanks to Fangirl0207, whose AMAZING fic somewhat inspired this one.

_Soulmates. What a silly thing._ Leo thought to himself. Nevertheless, he opened yet another book on the study of them. He was practically an expert in the field. His sixteenth birthday was fast approaching, and he wanted to know everything possible about the little group of words that would appear on his right arm in a few days, the first words he would hear his soulmate say. Although he would never admit it, knowing his siblings would tease him for a lifetime, he felt positively giddy.

He spent hours imagining who it would be, and what they would be like. They probably would be a man, he reasoned. He didn’t find women unpleasant, but something about men simply captivated him. He hoped they would be a sincere person, someone who laughed loudly, and was loyal. He hoped they gave gentle hugs, and were able to make him smile. Above all however, he hoped he wasn’t put in a position like his brother, Xander, who could never wear anything that could expose the words he was cursed with; block capitals that read− _Nohrian general, you face the high prince of Hoshido, Ryoma! I challenge you to single combat!_

Leo knew that Xander had spent years trying to settle with the fact that his soulmate was the enemy. That for the sake of Nohr, and his father, he would die alone, or worse, in some sort of arrangement with someone else, another person who wouldn’t be able be with their soulmate, this time because of him. He had to face that for all intents and purposes, he had no soulmate.

Camilla had fared better. Her arm was marked with a single word− _Meow._ A bit eccentric, sure, but whoever it was, they certainly had personality. The handwriting had typically male angles, but had enough flourishes that it was impossible to guess the gender of her suitor.

Corrin’s inscription was more frustrating. Her arm read _Pardon me, milady,_ a phrase that as a Nohrian royal, she had already heard dozens of times from the various staff that had served her, and really, just about everyone she would bump into for the rest of her life. Nevertheless, it was written in a very masculine script, so that gave her some clue. Still, she hoped that her soulmate had something more identifiable on their arm.

And that’s what drove Leo to research. He read stories of people who had known their soulmates since before they got their inscription, making it almost useless. He read stories of people who met their soulmates, only for them to die soon after. He read stories of people who had inscriptions in languages unknown to them, making everything extremely confusing. But mostly, he read about people who met their soulmates, and despite any initial complications, found happiness. _What else could anybody ask for?_ Leo mused to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And then the day came. June 29th, the day before his birthday. At midnight he would turn sixteen, and it would appear. He passed the day nervously, training with Xander in the morning, reading a history book that he couldn’t concentrate on in the afternoon, and all day long being followed around by his siblings, who took no small pleasure at how easily flustered he could get.

Dinner lasted even longer than usual. The typical air of tension and malevolence that normally radiated out of King Garon felt stronger than usual. He had no interest in silly things like soulmates, and didn’t speak about the topic. Leo reasoned that his own excitement was making him imagine things, though the looks on his siblings’ faces disproved that. The meal passed in near silence.

Leo as very glad to be rid of that silence, however, it was now evening, and if Leo thought that time passed slowly before, he was a fool. Everything felt positively glacial. Despite Camilla and Elise’s efforts to distract him, he checked the time about every thirty seconds. He even considered riding all the way out to the Northern Fortress, to pass the time, and allow Corrin to take part in the events. Unfortunately, it was far too dark for that to be a possibility, so time marched slowly on.

When the time finally came for Camilla to stuff him in his room so he could have a moment to himself with his inscription before he shared it with everyone, Leo was immensely relieved. The wait would finally be over. He sat cross-legged on his bed, and prepared himself for whatever he might see. He could hear his siblings shuffling around outside his door. Even Xander, who normally kept a firm distance between himself and the very idea of soulmates, was there to take part in his younger brother’s special day. Leo smiled, he knew it couldn’t be easy for him to be there.

Leo closed his eyes and cleared his mind, appreciating his last moments of ignorance, while still eagerly awaiting what came next. His mind drifted off, imagining all the different types of people in the world, and who he would end up with. When he finally was jolted out of his dreamworld by the twelve solemn bongs of the large hallway clock, he immediately looked at his arm.

_What are you looking at, Nohrian scum?_ In plain print. 

Leo’s heart sank. He stared at his inscription in dumb shock.

“Well, Leo, are you going to let us in?” Camilla asked.

Elise giggled and practically shouted, “Yeah Leo! We wanna see!”

“Calm down Elise, he might need some time” came Xander’s reply.

Leo swallowed nervously. It wasn’t as direct as Xander’s inscription, but still, it could only mean one thing. His soulmate was a Hoshidian. He sighed painfully. His siblings had to find out eventually. He slowly and silently opened the door, and held his arm close to his chest. He looked into Xander’s eyes pleadingly as he revealed his inscription to him alone.

Xander read it, and nodded, before entering Leo’s room to help him through what only the two of them understood, leaving Camilla and Elise to stand confused in the hall for a few moments, until the sound of Leo’s quiet crying told them everything they needed to know.

 


	2. Ignorance is bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and the nice comments! You guys make my heart happy! Anyway, I plan on updating this on a weekly-ish basis, as long as this ends up going for, but I felt that it was important to get this chapter out soon. It contains some light mention of self-harm, nothing graphic, but I thought I should let you know. Anyway, enjoy!

### Ignorance is bliss

Takumi woke up, as usual, at the crack of dawn. He felt disoriented for a moment because of his surroundings, but he quickly remembered that he was in a tent near the Nohrian border, and a sticky bitterness crept into his mind.

It had been three days since Queen Mikoto’s death. Right after the battle that immediately ensued, Corrin fled, confirming to Takumi and many others that she was a traitor. Shortly after, Azura disappeared as well. _Makes sense._ Takumi thought. _Those filthy Nohrians probably planned this years ago. Get Azura to gain our trust, and then send along Corrin to kill her mother while our guard is down._ Takumi grimaced. Nohr had officially sunk to a new low.

Takumi quickly got ready and strode over to Ryoma’s tent. The majority of the Hoshidian forces were posed on the Nohrian border, and today, Ryoma would lead the assault and begin the long and bloody process of avenging Queen Mikoto. Takumi peered into his brother’s tent, and quickly looked away, for he felt that he had just seen something that he was not supposed to see.

Ryoma was half-dressed, and gazing at his right arm, deep in thought. Takumi never knew his brother’s inscription, but he knew that soon after it appeared, Ryoma covered his arm with a series of cuts and slashes so that his scars made his inscription completely illegible. Takumi shuddered at the thought. He couldn’t imagine many things that could warrant such a reaction.

Takumi glanced at his own inscription. Messy cursive that read, _Sorry. I was just lost in thought._ stared back at him. It sounded like he and his soulmate might get off to a rough start, but Takumi reasoned that everything would work out okay in the end. _We’re soulmates._ Takumi thought, _That means everything will turn out all right._

Takumi pushed these thoughts away. Thinking about his soulmate wasn’t important right now. He had to worry about the present, and that was preparing for the battle ahead. He tapped lightly at Ryoma’s tent, getting his attention. He heard his brother quickly shuffle about, no doubt hiding what he had just been doing, before he heard a resounding, “Come in, Takumi.” Takumi entered, and began to discuss final strategy with Ryoma.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Only hours later, the Hoshidian army was massed only 100 yards away from the Nohrian army, and they were charging toward each other. Takumi was next to Ryoma, supporting him with his Fujin Yumi as Ryoma led the charge. Takumi spotted a blonde man, who he assumed must be the Nohrian leader, seated atop a jet black horse commanding his army from a strategic cliff. “Top of the cliff. Looks like some sort of general.” Takumi quickly said.

Ryoma nodded, and proceeded quickly toward the cliff. Takumi fired an arrow at a Wyvern rider who was getting uncomfortably close, taking them out in one hit. He quickly leaped out of the way to avoid a blast of dark magic from someone else, and returned two shots, dealing serious damage. Takumi stopped for a moment, as he heard Ryoma shout, “Nohrian General, you face the high prince of Hoshido, Ryoma! I challenge you to single combat!”

Takumi saw a grimace on the Nohrian commander’s face, before hearing his equally powerful reply, “I accept your challenge, high prince. But I am no general. I am crown prince Xander of Nohr!”

Takumi thought he saw Ryoma tense up for a moment, but he must have imagined it, because less than a second later they charged furiously at each other. Right before their blades met, however, they were interrupted by the loudest, most piercing sound Takumi had ever heard. Battle quickly screeched to a halt, as everyone turned their heads to the east to see Corrin and Azura with the still-rising sun keeping their faces shadowed. The sound came from Corrin, who had screamed, “STOP!” Takumi felt a rage welling within him. This was the person who shattered the shaky peace that Hoshido had come to enjoy. This was the princess who betrayed her family and her homeland.

Corrin took a deep breath, and now that she had everyone’s attention continued, “Brothers and sisters of Hoshido and Nohr, stop this meaningless slaughter! I request parley with both my Hoshidian and Nohrian siblings.”

Takumi looked around. This could just be another Nohrian trap. He looked to Ryoma, who was staring angrily into Xander’s eyes.  
“This is the only time that I shall stay my hand.” Xander articulated.

“Likewise.” Replied Ryoma as he sheathed Rajinoto and headed east toward Corrin.

Takumi pulled a nearby spear master close and enunciated, “Hinoka is with the reserve fighters. Sakura is nearby, with the Monks and Shrine Maidens. Make sure they know where to go.” The spear master nodded and quickly ran off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took several minutes for all the royal siblings to assemble at the eastern hill where Corrin had spoken from. Takumi stood with his arms crossed, not at all pleased with the situation. He glanced at the Nohrian royals, wondering how many they were waiting on besides Hinoka and Sakura, when he noticed one of them staring at him. He was blonde, and like Xander, rode a jet black horse. Takumi couldn’t help but feel a strange fluttering inside of him.

“What are you looking at, Nohrian scum?” Takumi spat.

The Nohrian royal looked extremely flustered. “S-sorry. I was just lost in thought.” he stammered. And Takumi immediately understood what the fluttering sensation was, and why the Nohrian was so flustered. 

And he hated it.


	3. Amber Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again! This fic is getting a way more positive reception than I anticipated, which I am grateful for. Other than that, I don't have much to say, so enjoy!!

### Amber Eyes

Since the confrontation on the hilltop, Leo had been doing a lot of thinking. He wished that his soulmate could have been someone else, anyone else. Yet, he couldn’t shake the image of his silver hair and amber eyes. And then he remembered the look of disgust that was directed at him, and the look of horror when Leo spoke. It made Leo feel like he was going to throw up.

_Xander always seems so strong,_ Leo thought, _Why can’t I be strong like he is? I am just as loyal to Nohr, I can’t let this **thing** make me forget that. _ Leo heard a knock at his door. He strode over, and opened it to see Xander lightly smile back at him.

“Hello brother,” greeted Leo, “Come in. Was there something you needed?”

“Well, I was just coming to say hello, but now that you ask,” Xander began jokingly, before continuing soberly, “It increasingly seems like we are going to be fighting a war on two fronts. The Hoshidian army is very strong, and they alone will pose quite a threat. However, Corrin’s decision adds a third group to the mix. I do not know how powerful her forces are, but I wouldn’t underestimate her. I trained with her for years, she can adapt to just about any situation.”

Xander paused. Traitor or not, they all had pleasant memories with Corrin that were difficult to forget. He pursed his lips before continuing, “Anyway, we need all the strength that we can get. Would you be able to travel to the Rainbow Sage and receive his power?”

Leo sat in silence for a moment. “Are you sure Xander?” he questioned, “Only four people have visited the Sage and survived.”

Xander laughed, a sound that was very refreshing in these troubling times. “And one of them was me, Leo. I think I would know whether or not you could handle it. And you’ve been ready for some time now.”

“Okay Xander, if you say so,” Leo replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leo left Nohr with his retainers and a few spare soldiers and traveled to the Sevenfold Sanctuary. As always, it was difficult to separate Camilla from the group. Her tendency to dote on Niles, and his tendency to turn everything she said into some sort of dirty joke was exhausting for everyone but them. Leo felt a tinge of envy every time he saw them together though, as trying as they could be. He wished that he could have a normal soulmate that he could be happy with. But then he’d always grit his teeth and push those feelings aside. He had to be strong for Nohr. He had to be strong like Xander.

The climb up to Sevenfold Sanctuary was long and gave Leo a good distraction from the thoughts that had been plaguing him lately. It was really hard to focus on anything else when you had to constantly keep an eye on Niles and Odin’s foolish antics. The idea of what they could get up to if left unsupervised was truly frightening. Sometimes Leo even felt that he spent more time managing them than they spent retaining for him, but he really did like having them around. With them, life could be frustrating, but everything kept a nice lighthearted tone. Without them, Leo would get lost in his mind, thinking about Nohr and Hoshido and soulmates, always, always soulmates.

Leo looked over his shoulder. Odin was trying to get Niles to name his bow, and Niles suggested calling it his Pelvic Punisher. Odin thought that he could come up with something much cooler. Leo chuckled. They were almost to the summit, and he didn’t know what to be ready for.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leo and his party were able to quickly rout the enemies in the Sanctuary. Everyone was looking at the remains of the battle, healing injuries, and in Leo’s case, preparing to open the final set of doors and meet the Rainbow Sage, when they heard footsteps ascending the stairs to where they were gathered. Leo turned around just in time to look into the eyes of two Hoshidian princes.

Leo stiffened. _Gods, why are they here?_ he wondered. The faces of the Hoshidians let everyone know that they were thinking the exact same thing. Leo assumed a false air of confidence, and strode over to the Hoshidians. He looked right through them, unable to face those amber eyes.

“Leave now, and you will be spared,” stated Leo, “Otherwise, I shall finish you off myself.” Leo held up Brynhildr threateningly.

“Never,” Ryoma declared, “Hoshido will never allow the power of the Rainbow Sage to fall into the hands of you filthy Nohrians!”

“Very well,” Leo replied, “Comrades, the battle hasn’t quite ended.”

Leo immediately took out a decent section of the Hoshidian troops with Brynhildr. Leo dodged an arrow as he ran back to his horse. True to character, Odin charged right into the heat of battle, tomes at the ready. Leo, Niles, and the rest of the soldiers were not far behind. It wasn’t long before Ryoma and Takumi were kneeling before Leo.

Leo knew what he had to do. If he finished them off here, the war would be practically won. But he looked down, and all he could see were those amber eyes.

“Run.” Leo growled, his voice barely more than a whisper. Takumi stared at him in disbelief, but he didn’t need to be told twice. He, along with Ryoma, quickly turned tail and fled, while Leo clenched his fist, hating himself for his weakness.


	4. Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really can't thank you guys enough! You're so kind! Anyway, this chapter is a bit shorter, hope you don't mind.

### Anger

Hate, hate, HATE. That was the only thing that filled Takumi’s heart as he descended from the Sevenfold Sanctuary. Not only did he and Ryoma lose to Nohrian filth, they lost to _him._

And he spared them. A prince from the kingdom that had ruthlessly terrorized his homeland for his entire life, spared them. A prince that had been raised to kill Hoshidians ruthlessly spared them. Takumi had to live the rest of his life knowing that he lived at the mercy of a Nohrian. _That_ Nohrian.

He wondered what it would be like if their roles were reversed. He liked to think that he could have pushed everything aside for Hoshido, but then again, he was the best archer in Hoshido, and that first arrow didn’t even graze Leo. He felt so stupid, so incapable. He didn’t belong in the Hoshidian army if he couldn’t even hit a dumb Nohrian.

Takumi punched the cliff face that bordered the path. Tears silently welled in his eyes, but it wasn’t because of the pain in his fist. As Oboro and Hinata quickly swarmed around him and tended to him, he didn’t even feel like he was there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At they neared the base of the mountain, Takumi was feeling slightly better. He still despised the situation he was in, and had a deep loathing for himself, but it was very difficult to not have at least a small smile on your face when the world’s two most mirthful retainers were trying to cheer you up.

And then he saw it. That long silver hair, and idiotic smile. On any other day, he would have made some cutting remark and immediately engaged Corrin, but today all that he could manage was to stand there and open his mouth stupidly.

Corrin was very excited to see them though. She immediately launched into a speech about invisible enemies and skies switching and a bunch of other obviously fake crap, leaving Takumi, Ryoma, and everyone else unable to get a single word in. At some point, Corrin seemed to decide that they were on the same side and began telling them all about how they were going to fix everything and everyone could live in a magical peaceful land where nobody died and everyone was happy.

Takumi looked around. Behind Corrin was a very small army of people who didn’t seem like it would be hard to convince them that the sky was actually green. And Kaze was one of them. Kaze, who had loyally served Hoshido his entire life. Kaze who was one of the most loyal servants of the royal family, betrayed that same family that he served. That was it. That pushed Takumi over the edge.

He interrupted Corrin, speaking so fast and so angrily that he didn’t even know what words came out of his mouth, though he heard the words betrayal, Nohr, failure, and soulmate. He walked closer and closer to Corrin, who shied away from him, until he pushed her onto the ground. It wasn’t enough of a push to hurt much, but the symbolism was there all the same.

Takumi stormed off, leaving both groups behind. Later, Oboro found him on the gun deck of the ship they arrived on, crying stupidly, covered in snot and sweat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When he returned to Castle Shirasagi, Takumi secluded himself in his room for three days, neither eating nor drinking. When he finally exited, he seemed like he was partially withered away, like a leech had sucked out all of his blood. Despite his wilted appearance, however, a new fire burned in his eyes.

He became brutal on the battlefield, stopping just short of cruelty. Those that didn’t know him well thought that he was simply angry about the death of his mother, and was dedicated to avenging her. Everyone that knew him well, however, knew that something was seriously wrong. He never smiled, and spoke only when absolutely necessary. The Takumi that they knew and loved seemed to be entirely gone.


	5. Camilla's Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Camilla's kinda OOC in this chapter but oh well)  
> Enjoy!  
> <3 Cornflakegod

### Camilla's Decision

The atmosphere in Castle Krakenburg was extremely tense. While Leo was away, Elise and her retainers had disappeared. Reports from Garon’s various spies said that she had betrayed Nohr and joined Corrin’s army. The entire castle was on edge, and the mood that had taken hold of Leo after he returned from Notre Sagesse did not help the situation.

Meanwhile, Garon was behaving strangely. In recent years, Garon had taken to spending great amounts of time consulting with Iago and worshipping the deity he called Anankos. It seemed to give him a meaner edge, but there wasn’t much that his children could do about it. The past few days however, with Iago out performing various military operations, Garon merely sat on his throne, babbling insanely. He didn’t always seem to realize when people were speaking to him, and Xander heard him saying something about destroying both Nohr and Hoshido.

All of this was weighing heavily on Camilla as she rapped at Leo’s door, hoping to improve the situation.

“You may enter,” said Leo quietly.

Camilla entered to see Leo sitting among a very large pile of books. Leo had always been a bookworm, but whenever he worried about something, he had a tendency to read obsessively about the subject. It certainly seemed like that was what was happening now. Camilla glanced at a few of the books’ spines. _A Guilty Conscience, Wartime and the Human Heart, and Reflections on Soulmates._ It was clear what was on Leo’s mind.

Camilla smiled at Leo and took a seat near him. Leo stared at her. He looked puzzled that she suddenly wanted to spend time with him, since she typically only came to him if she needed something. In fact, this time barely counted as an exception.

“It’s been so lonely around here without Corrin,” Camilla said, breaking the slight tension, “And now Elise is gone too. It wasn’t that long ago that our family was happy and all together. It makes me wonder if we’ll ever have that again.”

“Yeah,” replied Leo indifferently.

“Have you seen father’s state lately?” Camilla continued, “It makes me so worried. It seems like he’s lost himself completely.”

“Yeah, it’s frightening,” Leo said, and then blinked slowly.

Camilla pursed her lips. “At least you’re still here. I can’t Imagine what the castle would be like if it was just me and Xander,” she recited.

“Look,” Leo replied harshly, “You don’t need to pretend we were especially close now that your two favorites are gone. You were always preoccupied doting on Corrin, just like everyone else. I’ll just spend my time in solitude with my books. It’s what I’ve always done.”

Camilla felt hurt. She looked at her feet as she said, “I know I never paid as much attention to you as I did to Corrin or Elise. I always thought that you preferred solitude, but maybe it was wrong of me to assume that. Anyway, I mostly came in here to say that I think that Elise and Corrin made the right decision. Father has gone completely mad, and I no longer see any reason to fight for him. I heard that Corrin is going to be in Cheve in a few days, and I plan on joining her. I just thought that I should invite you to join me. Farewell.” Camilla stood up and left, leaving silence behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_It’s true,_ thought Leo, _Father has been changing lately. I don’t know if he’s just losing his mind, or if he’s under the influence of some sort of evil mage, but he definitely isn’t the person he used to be. And if there was a way to end this war peacefully without a victor like Corrin says, well, that would solve all of my problems. Everything that I’ve hears from Corrin sounds unbelievable, but I’d rather fight for something noble and fake than something evil and real._

_Then again, Corrin has always been way too trusting, and forgiving. Maybe Corrin doesn’t even know what she’s fighting for. Corrin is so ready to believe anything that just about anyone could manipulate her into serving their agenda. Admittedly, however, it’s pretty difficult to oppose father and be completely evil. Honestly, there isn’t much of a reason that we’re even at war with Hoshido, other than father’s lust for new territory._

Leo sighed. Other than loyalty, there really wasn’t a good reason to fight for Nohr. And if Corrin was being manipulated, she needed someone to talk sense into her, and it wouldn’t be Elise or Camilla. That settled it. He stood up to go chase after Camilla. She would want to know that he would be accompanying her.


	6. The Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, still love you guys!
> 
> Enjoy!

### The Anger

Takumi never would have admitted that he felt at war with himself, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t true. Sure, he was pissed at Corrin for betraying her family, and he would never side with her as long as he lived. Sure, he’d always had a burning hatred of Nohr. Sure, that fucking blonde princeling always worked himself into every situation. The Anger that boiled deep in his gut, however, was something different. Something not of himself.

He didn’t always disagree with it either. In fact, it usually urged him to do things that he would have done anyway. Pushing Corrin in the dirt, quarantining himself, dedicating himself to avenging his mother, that was all him. The Anger had a harsher edge than him, though. Before the Anger, he spared enemy soldiers when it was possible, and he fought more to end the war than he did to kill Nohrians. He certainly couldn’t say that anymore.

And the Anger was getting stronger. It had been there, in the background, for a long time. It first appeared during his trip to Notre Sagesse. They traveled along the Bottomless Canyon for a short time; he stumbled and fell in, but one of the Pegasus knights was able to save him. He had wanted to talk to Ryoma about it, but more and more he found Ryoma sitting pensively by himself. There were whispers floating around about him wanting to side with Corrin and extend an olive branch to Nohr. Takumi didn’t know whether to believe them or not, Ryoma certainly hadn’t taken any steps down that path, but he knew that Ryoma wouldn’t understand. He was too gentle and chivalrous. Takumi would have to pave his own path.

Plus, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted anyone to understand. The Anger was so tempting, so seductive. Giving into it felt so, so _good_. He would make Nohr pay for their actions. He would make Corrin pay for her betrayal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryoma insisted that they meet up with the Nohrian resistance in Cheve. Takumi didn’t agree with this. _Once a Nohrian, always a Nohrian,_ he thought. The Anger urged him to run off, betray Ryoma and fight Nohr all by himself. It took everything he had to push those feelings aside. _Come on, Takumi,_ he thought, _The last thing Hoshido needs is another enemy._

They met up with the leader of the resistance, a woman named Scarlet. Takumi didn’t listen to her fill in Ryoma on the situation in Cheve. She didn’t seem evil. She would probably be a valuable ally. Takumi stood next to Ryoma with his arms crossed. The Anger was boiling in his stomach. It surged up to his head, making him feel like it was going to split in half. Takumi dropped to his knees and cried out in pain. And then, it passed.

Takumi was breathing heavily. It took him a moment to realize that the room was completely silent.

“Brother, are you okay?” Ryoma asked, sounding extremely concerned.

“I…I think so,” Takumi replied. Ryoma smiled slightly, but his eyes betrayed that he didn’t believe that for one second.

“We can talk later,” Ryoma said.

Ryoma turned back to Scarlet, so she could resume her debriefing, when a messenger burst into the room. He was sweating profusely, he had clearly come here in a hurry.

“L-lord Ryoma,” the messenger panted, “Corrin’s army, i-is nearby. They just arrived in the cit-city. The Nohrian army is maybe a d-days march away.”

Ryoma’s face hardened. This was a bad position for them to be in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
The Hoshidian royal siblings, Scarlet, and the leaders of the various legions in the army sat around a table in a makeshift war council room. The tension was very high; everyone knew that the battle was far from a guaranteed win.

“The Hoshidian and Nohrian armies are fairly evenly matched,” Ryoma began, “Therefore, the true power in this situation is held by Corrin. Her army is small, and by herself she has no chance of defeating either us, or the Nohrian army. However, unless she is completely foolish, she will align with one of us, and that will be the deciding factor in this battle. We need to figure out how to get her to side with us.”

Takumi laughed sarcastically. “It’s probably pointless. Corrin and the Nohrians are arriving at basically the same time, so they’re probably already allied with each other. Plus, Corrin was basically a Nohrian to begin with. She killed our mother for them, or did you conveniently forget that?”

Hinoka slammed her arm on the table. “Takumi, did you conveniently forget that she’s our sister? Did you forget how she cried when Mother was killed? I think she knew a lot less about what was going on than you assume.”

Ryoma cleared his throat. “Now that that’s out of the way,” he said, “We can move on. You all need to remember that whatever emotional attachments we may have to our enemies, our first and foremost worry is how we will win this war for Hoshido. For all intents and purposes, Corrin is to be considered a neutral third party until we have proof otherwise. Now, the question remains. How will we gain Corrin’s favor?”

Takumi leaned back in his chair and sighed. The Anger bubbled menacingly. It was going to be a long meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (What, no I have not recently been reading The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, the second book in the Mistborn trilogy, published in 2007 by TOR Fantasy, an excellent trilogy which I highly recommend where in the early chapters they talk about strategy in a fight between three armies)


	7. Cheve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile, school's started up for me and I've barely had time to breathe (3 AP classes was a mistake!!) However, I think that you'll like this chapter quite a bit.
> 
> Enjoy!

### Cheve

The last few days had been a blur. Corrin was absolutely overjoyed to have Camilla and Leo join her, and they quickly blended in as if they had always been there. Leo wanted to be brought up to speed on everything that the army’s been doing, but he was surprised to find that there wasn’t much that he already knew. Corrin’s army was deeply dedicated to her, yet she told them almost nothing about why they were actually fighting. Leo assumed that Corrin had a reason for this, but it irked him all the same. He wouldn’t leave her army though. His only other option was to fight for his father, which was obviously the wrong choice.

It also appeared that Corrin was in a relationship with Jakob, one of her old butlers. It made Leo happy to see that Corrin seemed to have found her soulmate, but the way that they constantly hung around each other made him feel a tinge of sadness. He still never knew how things would turn out for him. He just had to push it aside. Fighting for Corrin and trying to bring peace to both Nohr and Hoshido was the only hope he had. He just needed to believe in it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The plan was, after arriving in Cheve, Corrin would meet with Xander and Ryoma separately before the battle. Even if she couldn’t get the fighting to stop right then, she could at least tell them to be at the bottomless canyon when the skies change.

But it didn’t exactly play out like that. As soon as they arrived, Ryoma wanted to meet with them. He wanted to form an alliance with them, so they could work together to defeat Nohr. Corrin wasn’t particularly interested in defeating anyone, and Ryoma wasn’t entirely comfortable with the fact that three out of four Nohrian royal siblings were aligned with Corrin. Ryoma left with a less-than-pleased face, but Corrin was happy that she was at least able to pass along her message. On the other hand, Xander completely refused to meet with them. Leo expected nothing less, from Xander’s perspective all of his siblings betrayed him, but Corrin seemed rather put off. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been coddled and sheltered from birth, but she always expected people to trust and love her no matter what.

So, they ended up hiding in the house of one of Elise’s friends. Leo was always impressed at how Elise had friends in every corner of the kingdom, but then again, it isn’t exactly difficult to be friends with someone so cheery as Elise.

They weren’t able to do anything. Their army was small enough that it would be completely obliterated if they tried to fight either of the other armies, and both would probably attack them on sight. They just had to wait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took a long time for the fighting to start, but as soon as it did, Leo wished that it never had. He had fought in many battles before. He was very familiar with the atrocities of war. But this was something different. He was completely powerless to change the outcome. All he could do was sit and listen to the screams of the people bleeding in the streets, and hope that everything turned out all right. _Is this what life is like for civilians? Just having to wait and see how life will turn out for them? It’s awful._ Leo thought.

The room they were in was very sparse, with dirt floors and no furnishings unless you counted a few crates that the family that lived in the house stored there. It was quite a large room, especially for a basement, but nevertheless, cramming Corrin’s entire army into it made it extremely crowded. It had a small window near the ceiling, which Leo peered out of.

What he saw shocked him. There was Takumi, but he was different. The few times Leo had seen Takumi before, he had been antagonistic, he had been loyal to his native country, he had been proud, but he had not been cruel, he had not been evil. Takumi was standing amid a pile of corpses and blood. He was breathing heavily as he walked toward one last soldier who was cowering against a wall. They were unarmed and injured, but Takumi was walking toward them with murder in his eyes.

Leo knew something was horribly wrong, so he did what was probably the stupidest thing he had done in his entire life. He quickly took Niles, who was standing next to him, and pushed him onto his hands and knees.

“Milord, you seem quite eager, but shouldn’t we at least find a closet?” Niles said playfully, but Leo ignored him. He stepped on top of Niles’ back, using him as a stepstool, and broke the window with his elbow. He quickly climbed out, and sprinted directly toward Takumi.

Takumi whipped his head around, and upon seeing Leo, twisted his face into a grotesque expression. He aimed at Leo with his Fujin Yumi, but it was too late. Leo barreled into Takumi’s chest, knocking him onto the ground and the Fujin Yumi out of his hands. Leo pinned him down, and stared into blood-red eyes. Eyes without a trace of reason. Leo did the only thing that he could think of.

Leo pushed his lips against Takumi’s.


	8. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say here, thanks for the continuing kudos and positive comments!
> 
> Enjoy!

### Breathe

The moment that the fighting began, the Anger took hold. Takumi wasn’t aware of much, just that he was going to make Nohr pay. His mind was blank, save for the smell of blood, and the sensation of killing.

And then it was gone. He was suddenly jolted into reality. And there was someone on top of him. And they were kissing him.

Takumi tried to push them away, but they had him pinned to the ground. As soon as he started struggling, however, they pulled away. And Takumi saw that it was _him._ And he didn’t know what to feel. He stared stupidly into Leo’s chocolate brown eyes as he gradually became aware of his surroundings. Still-warm blood was seeping into his clothes, and they were surrounded by dead bodies. Most of them were Nohrians, but some of them were unmistakably Hoshidian. _Did I kill them?_ Takumi questioned, terrified at the answer.

Leo was staring down at him, mouth moving but not making any sounds. Neither of them knew what to do next. Takumi had to admit, he definitely didn’t hate Leo in that moment. He had saved him from the Anger that had taken over. But he was still a Nohrian. Takumi averted his eyes.

Leo pursed his lips and began, “I-I’m sorry about tha−“

“No,” Takumi interrupted, “Thank you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

Leo suddenly seemed to realize that he had been sitting on top of Takumi for some time, and tried to stand up very quickly, however, his armor snagged on Takumi’s clothing, which caused him to fall face-first into Takumi’s chest. Takumi heard someone cheer a short distance away, and turned to see a white haired man with an eyepatch and a very overzealous looking dark mage climbing out of a window at street level. Takumi looked back at Leo, whose face was as red as a tomato.

“Please excuse my idiotic retainers,” Leo said quietly, “Now, if you would be so kind, I am rather stuck.”

Takumi fumbled around awkwardly and eventually separated himself from Leo. They quickly put several feet of distance between them. Takumi turned to say something to Leo, when he noticed Ryoma approaching them. His heart skipped a beat; he didn’t know what Ryoma would do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryoma walked calmly toward Takumi, though he did cast a glare at Leo. “Are these Nohrians causing you trouble?” he asked.

Trouble? No, not quite. Takumi loved Hoshido, he fought for Hoshido, and Nohr was a threat to Hoshido. And yet, Leo saved him. He still wouldn’t accept what Leo was to him, he wasn’t ready for that, no matter what the fluttering in his chest told him. But he couldn’t hate him blindly anymore. He was about to speak, when Leo did.

“I fell that it is pertinent that I say that although I am a prince of Nohr, I no longer fight for King Garon. He is going completely mad, always rambling to himself about the deity Anankos, which he worships. We have no reason to fight Hoshido, yet he insists on it. I have joined Corrin’s army, in the hope that I can help to restore peace between our nations. I want to live in a world where we don’t have to oppose each other.”

And instantly, without thinking about the repercussions of what he was saying, Takumi replied.

“And I have joined Corrin’s army as well.”

Takumi glanced at Leo, whose mouth was wide open in shock. He was staring dumbly at Takumi while his retainers danced excitedly around him. After a few moments he regained composure and smiled at Takumi.

Takumi turned to face Ryoma. He looked at the ground and shook his head. “It seems, brother, that you have done what I could not. You always were easily swayed by emotions. It’s both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. Very well. I cannot change your mind at this point.”

Ryoma paused and looked up at the sky. He took a deep breath before continuing, “I shall withdraw my troops. Fighting here is pointless, we are suffering heavy casualties and capturing Cheve would not give us a large enough advantage to justify that. I…may see you both again soon.”

As Ryoma turned to leave, Takumi let out a breath that he didn’t realize that he was holding. Life certainly would be different now. He glanced at Leo again. _Yes,_ he thought, _life will be very different now indeed._


	9. New Recruits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Another Chapter! Probably none of you expected this, since the last update was somewhere around September, but here it is! I haven't forgotten about this fic, (and although it isn't the focus of this chapter, I also haven't forgotten about Xander and Ryoma) But anyway, many apologizes for the hiatus, my life has been one intense whirlwind of studying, but here I am again.  
> Enjoy!

### New Recruits

Leo stared at Takumi as Ryoma walked away. They were silent for a time, neither knowing what to say. They weren’t _enemies_ anymore per se, but that didn’t mean that all the tension between them was immediately resolved. Leo wanted nothing more than to run to Takumi and fall into the comfortable intimacy of soulmates that he had longed for since he was young, but that was simply impossible. He was not yet comfortable with Takumi. It wasn’t that long ago that they were trying to kill each other.

The tension was broken rather jarringly by Corrin’s excited squealing as she climbed out of the window Leo had come from. She eagerly ran over to him, arms outstretched and ready to give a hug, babbling about how she was so glad her brother was joining her. Takumi raised one arm, and calmly pushed her away. He did so unmaliciously, but it was still very easy to read that gesture as a continuation of the tension he and Corrin had enjoyed. Corrin was a little put off by this, but she was still very glad to have Takumi in her army, especially since he was the only member of the Hoshidian royal family to do so. She looked like she was about to launch into a long excited speech, so Leo quickly interrupted her.

“Corrin, I think that we should leave Cheve.” Leo said.

Corrin stopped. “Why so?”

“Well, we aren’t exactly accomplishing anything by hiding in that basement, and judging by the situation out here, we aren’t near where the action is, so we should be able to escape if we’re careful. Plus,” Leo hesitated and glanced at Takumi, “Our new ally needs to be acquainted with the rest of our army.”

“My retainers will be worried sick about me,” Takumi interjected awkwardly. “Especially since I…haven’t been myself lately. And my sister, Sakura. She’s been trying to hide the fact that she’s wanted to join you the moment you and Azura fled. If I visited the Hoshidian back lines, I could bring them with me.”

Leo glanced over at Corrin, and watched a giant smile slowly spread across her face. _This is what she wanted,_ Leo thought, _Her two families are coming together._ He looked at Takumi again. _What does that mean for us?_

Takumi must have felt Leo’s gaze, because he looked over at Leo, who then quickly averted his eyes, though a slight blush was apparent in his cheeks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After sneaking out of Cheve, Takumi reunited with Oboro and Hinata, who were overjoyed to see Takumi in a more normal state. He was still flustered from his actions, and particularly Leo’s method of ending them, but he was definitely still the same Takumi that they so happily served. They were pretty apprehensive about joining up with so many Nohrians, but they reasoned that if they had helped Takumi, they must be alright.

Takumi then found Sakura and her retainers, who as promised, were very eager to join Corrin, and after one meeting with Elise, they were very quickly integrated. After a meal celebrating the new recruits, lots of excited meetings, and no shortage of comments from Niles on the subject of Takumi and his physique, Leo and Takumi ended up alone together in a tent.

And Gods, it was awkward.

“You know, I still haven’t thanked you properly for what you did back there,” Takumi said. “I don’t know if what was possessing me is still somewhere inside me, but you gave me the first breath of fresh air that I had in a long time.”

“You don’t have to make it sound so amazing.” Leo replied, “I was just being impulsive.”

“Well, that impulse was the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

Leo blushed deep red, and the silence returned for awhile.

“Well,” Takumi said, “It’s getting late. Do you know where my tent is?”  
Leo’s blush deepened. “Um, I am sure that my retainers have arranged for you to share this one.”

“Oh,” said Takumi softly. He paused awkwardly, wondering whether he should go secure his own tent or not. “Well,” he said, “I’m sure that my retainers are on the other side of the tent flap, monitoring our every action.”

They both chuckled lightly. It seemed that their retainers were equally overzealous. Leo brought in a second blanket, neither of them were comfortable with the idea of sharing a bed, but when someone saves someone else’s life, they’re usually comfortable enough with each other that they can at least share a tent. _Maybe, just maybe everything will turn out alright,_ Leo thought as he drifted off to sleep.


	10. Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I update again! Hooray! I think that this chapter will give a lot of you more of what you've wanted from the very beginning (okay maybe just a little taste). Thank you all again for being supportive!

### Strategy

The first thing that Takumi noticed when he woke up was a pleasant smell. It was vaguely earthy, but had tones of deep forest wood. He couldn’t really think of a way to describe it, and was trying to figure out the perfect word to describe it when he realized what exactly he was smelling.

Leo.

In the night, it seemed that Takumi and Leo had both rolled toward each other, and even though they weren’t in the same bed, Leo’s head was only a few inches from Takumi’s. Takumi was about to quickly roll away, when Leo started making soft waking-up noises. Takumi didn’t know what to do. If he rolled away, Leo would surely notice, and then he might think that Takumi was doing something weird. If he didn’t move, the situation would seem all weird and coupley.

And it was already too late, because Leo’s eyes were open.

Luckily, unlike Takumi, Leo was not a morning person, and he didn’t seem to be wholly conscious of what was going on. Takumi couldn’t help but think that Leo was really cute with his eyes all half-shut and sleepy. Takumi slowly pulled himself away from Leo. Leo didn’t seem like he was awake enough to put too much thought into it. They could get to know each other more later, when both of them were fully awake. For now, Takumi could do some early morning training, and see more of Corrin’s army, and how they were functioning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Around midday Corrin met her siblings in her tent to discuss their next move. There was no obvious answer. The skies wouldn’t switch for around a month, so moving all the way to the bottomless canyon now would be foolish. Most of their recruits thus far had come from Nohr, so the prevailing idea was to move through Hoshido. There wasn’t a clear idea, however, on where they should go once they entered Hoshido and who they should try to meet. Even if they were going to go to Hoshido, there was the issue of getting there. They could either cross the bottomless canyon, which would be extremely bothersome, and require a lot of trekking through Nohr, or they could cross the Sea of Hoshido, which would be ideal, except for the fact that they would disembark very close to Mokushu, which judging from what little intel they had, was less than friendly.

Eventually, discussion lapsed, and Takumi led his head thud on the table in annoyance. There was no good solution. He zoned out for a moment, until he caught Camilla saying, “Honestly, I don’t know how Xander is still fighting at this point. If I was in his situation, I’m sure that I would crumble.”

“It is terrible,” Leo replied, “But it’s not like years of loyalty to Nohr and fealty to Garon could disappear overnight. He has an overwhelming sense of duty. I’m not sure exactly how far he would go for the sake of loyalty, but I don’t want to find out. I know that it certainly took me a long time to realize that Garon was outside the realm of what he should be doing. I’ve never been as...spotless as Xander, though. He’s so obsessed with being the perfect crown prince, and later, the perfect ruler. He’s in a tough situation. There are certainly courses of action that he shouldn’t take, but I don’t necessarily think there is a correct one.”

This surprised Takumi. His entire life, he had known all Nohrians to be nothing but cruel. In the past day and a half, he had found that at least the Nohrians he met seemed to at least be human (except that Keaton fellow, but that’s beside the point), but Takumi hadn’t entertained the idea that Nohr’s evil actions were only because of Garon. “Is...there something wrong with Garon?” Takumi probed.

Leo sighed. “Well, yes,” he replied. “As our ally, you have the right to know. We’ve been trying to keep it out of the public eye, but over the past several years Garon has been steadily declining. It’s been especially bad in the past year. He constantly mumbles to himself and worships a deity he seems to believe resides in a carving in the ceiling of the throne room. All of his actions are cruel, even to his children. He used to be a kind ruler, but now, now he’s just mad.”

Takumi didn’t know what to say to that. The tent fell silent for a little while.

“Well,” Camilla added, “That’s only a small part of Xander’s issue. I could understand Xander’s actions if Garon was the only issue. At the end of the day, Garon is old, and will eventually die. Then Xander will be able to fix whatever’s left of Nohr. I don’t know. Do you know how Ryoma deals with it?”

Now Takumi was just confused. “Deals with what?”

“Oh, you know,” Camilla replied.

“Um, I really don’t”

Camilla had a shocked look on her face.

It was Leo who answered the question though. 

“Takumi, Xander and Ryoma are soulmates.”


	11. Revelations for all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you asked for the chapter, but do you really want it?  
> angstangstangstangst  
> hahahahahahahahaha

### Revelations for all

Leo watched as Takumi’s jaw hit the floor. Leo didn’t understand why Takumi didn’t know. He had heard that in Hoshido people were more tight-lipped about their soulmates, but still, Takumi and Ryoma were brothers, it would be nearly impossible to hide their inscriptions from each other completely. And it wasn’t like their inscriptions were vague either. Leo was there when they first met. Their first words to each other were literally declaring who they were.

Leo observed as Takumi stared down at his folded hands. Leo wasn’t even sure if he heard it, but it sounded like Takumi said, “That explains everything.”

_Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained._ Leo reasoned. “Did something happen?” he asked.

Takumi took a deep breath. It took him awhile to muster up what was needed to say it all. “On Ryoma’s sixteenth birthday, everyone was excited. I was fairly young at the time, I didn’t entirely understand what a soulmate was, but I knew it was something good. In Hoshido, most people don’t celebrate their sixteenth birthday in a huge way; soulmates are considered private, but the royal family is a little different. There’s a party with the most important noble families, though they all leave long before midnight. You have a special ceremonial dress just for the event, and are locked in a room that is used exclusively for that purpose.

“After it’s over, you come out of the room, and make a small speech about how you and your soulmate are going to serve Hoshido above else. It’s very formulaic, only a few lines change between speeches. It isn’t required for you to reveal your inscription, but it’s fairly common. Anyway, again, I was very young at the time so I was mostly just tired from staying up so late. But when Ryoma exited the room, he didn’t make any sort of speech. He was clutching his arm close to his body, and collapsed on the ground.

“I was quickly ushered out of the room, and I didn’t fully understand what had happened until years later. Apparently, Ryoma’s inscription had been so terrible that he had taken a blade and slashed at his arm until his inscription was completely unreadable. He almost died from the blood loss, apparently he hit some sort of vein. He hasn’t spoken about it since then.”

Leo was shocked. He didn’t know what to say. But he didn’t need to. Takumi spoke again, though Leo could see tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“And you knew. You all knew and you did nothing. You still attacked Hoshido. You still killed Mikoto. I don’t care if your king was to blame, you didn’t have to follow him. You could have killed him, or if he was truly out of his mind, neutered his power. Shouldn’t knowing that your soulmate is on the other side be a reason to try to find peace? I-I don’t understand. A-and Leo, you knew too. You knew about us. And you did nothing.”

“You don’t understand what it’s like for us. You don’t understand what it’s like to live under Garon. You don’t understand the immense pain that Xander and I felt.” Leo quickly replied.

“Yeah, maybe I don’t.” Takumi said. “But you don’t understand what Ryoma felt, or what I’m feeling now.” Takumi looked up, not even trying to conceal his crying eyes. “I-I need some time to think things over. I’m going to go for a walk or something.”


	12. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay friends. I haven't forgotten about this story. I have been battling with the realization that Fire Emblem Fates is a bad game for some time now. Playing Echoes really drives it in, but I figured that this story deserved an ending, just because so many people have been reading it. I don't like Fire Emblem Fates anymore. I've moved on from it. But I'm doing this for you, sitting, somewhat high in my friend's dorm room. I've read the most recent chapter, so continuity is based off the most recent chapter, and what I remember from the past. This isn't the ending you guys deserve. But it's the ending you'll get.

Takumi went for a walk, to like clear his head. He was an archer boy, a lone wolf, and always found nature kinda relaxing. He took a deep breath of the crisp air and almost forgot about the chaos of the day. He bit an apple.

He chewed, contemplatively. (Hey im not fucking with html. thoughts are in asterisks now) *Did Leo have a right to be mad? Should Ryouma have hidden his soulmete? Should Takumi have been a better brother about it? Could he have been?*

The thoughts swirled. He couldn't do anything. Spiraling, spiraling, it felt like his thoughts were going to tear him apart. The sudden realization that his thought processes were abnormal. In a moment of separated clarity-- *Oh, of course. A normal person would thing these things about that life event, but instead I think these other things. If those are their perceptions, should I alter my behavior? Or would that mean that I was betraying some sense of self. What am I supposed to be? Am I that way? What have I been up until this point in my life and what will I be from now?*

But these thoughts were unproductive. They weighed on him. So strong it was almost, but not quite a physical feeling. He laid in the grass. He closed his eyes.

Tired. Not physically but mentally. His mental state had been through a lot. The struggle of his soulmate. The struggle of war. The struggle of being a prince. The struggle of learning about his brother. The struggle of leaving his country's side. The struggle of meeting someone new. The struggle of Leo.

Leo.

Leo.

His blond hair, his prickish attitude. His intelligent eyes, his smile.

When he thought of Leo, his mind was almost clear. The torrent of questions still raged, but it could be ignored. Leo was good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxx

It was the next day when Corrin made a move. Corrin, the strategist. Corrin, the idiotically optimistic. Corrin, with her backward logic. She was in charge of the army, and left without advisors to correct her mistakes. Corrin, so unknowing of the outside world. Corrin, have you really lived? Have you loved? Have you lost? Or have you experienced these things only peripherally? Only one who has walked the path of life and collected scars should be allowed to decide the fates of men.

But nobody was stopping her.

So she made her move.

Ever the Emma Woodhouse, Corrin believed that she had to simply set Ryoma and Xander up properly. Love would surely triumph in the end. How could it not? Corrin had never seen a situation go truly wrong to the point of no return. To the point where you would bleed out for the opportunity to do it over. So unbeknownst to anyone who might try to persuade her to do otherwise, she attracted both Xander and Ryouma to Izumo.

Corrin's army didn't think too hard about the march to Izumo. They were fugitives, always on the move, and Izumo was a peaceful place. Safe.

Xander and Ryouma both thought that Izumo was about to forgo neutrality and join their side.

Izana was a fool, easily persuaded. Rumors circulated about him. Did he have an opiate addiction? Was he fit for rule? Was he of sane and sober mind? Did he have Izumo's best interests at heart?

The rumors were all wrong. He was vain. He was a fool. He was a narcissist. Simple. Daisy-dumb Corrin thought herself rather clever for being able to manipulate him.

Of course the armies saw each other from a great distance. Contrary to popular belief, both Xander and Ryouma travelled with a large escort. It's hard to hide a thousand men. Both believed their side to be stronger, full of more elite soldiers. Neither suspected that they were facing their nemesis.

Fighting started immediately. Xander, like a Nohrian sat almost serenely atop his troops. Killing men with his voice. His commands as absolute as the blade Ryouma used to slice his way to him. Hoshidians execute the commander, and see that the troops cease. Nohrians snuff out the troops, and see that the commander ceases.

Face to face. Seigfried. Rajinoto.

Corrin.

Three bloods mingling on the ground.

Three armies without a commander.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fighting didn't stop immediately. It didn't stop for a long time. But hours later, when fighting had ceased and armies had retreated, they were at a loss.

Too many people had died in this war.

What did it matter anymore. What did it matter ever. Killing for the sake of killing.

Children without fathers dreaming of becoming mercenaries. Children without homes. Cultures erased. Refugees in every city. The streets weren't safe.

This was every kingdom.

Hoshido: Ryouma, Sakura, Corrin. Hinoka was injured. Takumi was unsure.

Nohr: Xander, Camilla, Corrin. Elise had emotional scars. Leo was lost.

Valla: Corrin. Azura.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

What is there even to say about the greatest violence?

There is nothing to say. Only absence.

And silence where there once was noise.

Peace wasn't hard to establish at this point. It was painfully obvious to everyone that the deaths of Garon and Iago would quickly resolve most of their problems. The deaths were arranged.

Borders were redrawn. Territories returned. Colonies relinquished.

Elise and Leo were the only members of the Nohrian royal family left. Neither wanted to rule. They found the more capable advisors and set them to forming a republic.

Hinoka was left crippled. Takumi wanted to keep Hoshido's monarchic system. He didn't want to rule though. Takumi created a parliament, and became little more than a figurehead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

How do you fill silence where there once was noise.

You cannot create the same noise, so you try to fill it with something else.

But it is incomplete. You will never had what you had before.

Life is like vapor, beautiful and erotic, but the mere act of existing destroys it. How is it ever supposed to shoulder struggle?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Takumi and Leo were never to regain what they had before. Their hope-turned-disgust-turned-hope-turned-love feeling they had shared when they were together in Corrin's Army. However, they gained something new.

They learned to visit, and remember. They told each other stories about their youth, and about the war. They remembered those that they had lost, and a simpler time. They learned to appreciate what they had. They learned to sip their tea slowly and play shogi like old men. They smiled at the same jokes and cried at the same losses. They cared for their siblings, and for their countries. Life was not good like it used to be, before the war. But it wasn't bad now.


End file.
